Houston, we have a problem….

We went this afternoon to turn in our application and get a tour so I could see the classrooms, speak to a teacher, find out what he would be doing all day etc etc etc.

I got there, and no one was available to speak to me.

Yes, there was one teacher manning the desk, but the woman I had talked to on Tuesday? In a meeting with no end in site. And the director? Off until Monday.

To say I was not pleased was an understatement.

I explained my problems to teacher at the front desk, but she had no advice. Other than, come back at another time.

WTH?

Finally, a teacher that we had met last time said she was availbale for a tour. And thank God she was. She had the inside scoop.

We visited all of the classrooms. In general, I was impressed, because they had an actual curriculum with books for the 2 and ups.

Wow.

We got to the two year old room, and I thought we were in Pookahs room. These kids looked like him, acted like him, and were his size.

But…no.

We made it to the one year old room, and I was just…..unimpressed.

These were babies.

Pookah is not a baby. He is 18 almost 19 months. I don’t know what the rest of these kids out here are doing, but Pookah is trying to talk, interact with people and he is BUSY. He does not sit around like these little babies were doing. Randomly playing quietly. No. that is not my Pookah. This is also what I think the main problem is at current daycare: he has outgrown his class.

But back to Waiting list daycare one year old classroom. Curious, I ask the teacher about the transition to the two year old room. Pookah will always enter school a year later because his birthday is in November.

But this is ridiculous. These folks want me to leave Pookah in the one year old room until he is 2 1/2 almost 3. So basically, he will not potty train until then( they don’t potty train until the two year old room) and he will not learn anything productive until then either. He has basically mastered everything they are teaching in that classroom. They would be stunting him, leading to a very bored child who would in turn be accused of being a “problem” when he got bored and decided that he was not going to do what they want.

Sigh.

So yeah, we have a problem.

When they asked if I wanted to leave my enrollment form today with my enrollement fees, I said no.

I was told to call in the morning to speak with someone about setting an acutal appointment( like I did last time) so I could actually speak to the director.

Whatever.

I’ll try, because maybe they will surprise me and automatically enroll Pookah into the 2 year old room where he belongs.

Comments

Are you sure they are dead set against him going into the 2 year old room? That is so bizarre that they go by age ONLY. Bizarre and ridiculous. Clearly if your son looks like he is 2, acts like he is 2, is as advanced as a 2 year old. Ding, ding, ding – he belongs in the two year old room! That would piss me off too!

Have you considered an in-home daycare. That is where my son is. Since it is only a few kids in there – she teaches them more or less on their own level. And the price is right.

Unfortunately regardless of his developmental age it is unlikely Pookah will be placed in the two year old room until he is at least officially two. The state ratios go by age, and having a single one year old, (even at 23 months and 29 days!) will drop the ratio to the one year old limits, usually 1:5 or 1:6 (1 adult to 5 or 6 children). The two year old ratio is usually closer to 1:10 or 1:11.

Maybe if you actually get to talk to the director she would be able to see that Pookah is no baby. But yea I would be feeling the same way you are about this place, good luck with the search.Candace (NYStateofMom) recently posted..I Almost Clicked the Button

I agree with but damn! Sounds kinda stupid to leave him in a room full of babies. I hope they can put him in with the 2yr olds. I’m sure he really would so well there.krissy recently posted..Happy Father’s Day

They might surprise you. Lovegirl’s birthday is September 8 and so they wanted to keep her in the 2 year old room when she started preschool. I was like “okay…” because I’d heard the same thing everywhere. They moved that girl after 3 days.

The flip side of this is that once she started public school she had to “repeat” kindergarten because of her birthday. After some initial frustration, the teacher and I got on the same page and she was given more challenging work.